Resurrection
by The Warlock of Time
Summary: A rebirth of Magic... A Final Fantasy Crossover to end all crossovers.... Who could ask for more? No Flames please... If I get good reviews, I'll continue the story... Please R&R! :)
1. Chapter 1- Entrance

Forces of RUIN  
Written by  
The Warlock of Time  
TheWarlockofTime@yahoo.com  
  
Chapter One  
Entrance  
  
  
The forests of South Figaro, once a mighty valley of trees, now reduced only to a small several hundred acres of mighty oaks. A small family of chocobos, one of the last on Ruin, resides within this small protective zone, shielded from the dangers of the land. Yet, here is where the greatest impact that the inhabitants of the planet will ever face.   
Over in a tiny grassy area, where there are no trees around, a single rare Black Chocobo nibbles on the fertile greens of the area. As he continues to enjoy his meal, a slight wind begins to pick up, and the great bird stops for a second, reading the wind for guidance. With a moaning warble, the bird backs up just as a green field of light appears over the glade. The bird is frightened, but curious as to what this was... Just as it moves closer to the shimmering field, a ball of light falls out of the portal and onto the ground with a slight thud. Then, with the object disposed, the portal shuts itself, and peace returns to the area.   
The Chocobo trots over and inspects this new thing in its environment. There, embedded in the ground, was a large piece of greenish crystal, and encased inside of it was a young boy in blue armor. His eyes were shut, and he looked as though he was in a deep sleep. Being the smart, and scared, chocobo that he was, Kanaki decided it would be smart to go and get his master to check out this new object.  
Running to the small house in the center of the forest, the Kanaki came to a stop in front of his master's house and began to warble at the top of his lungs. At first nothing happened, but then a loud groan/yell occurred and Kanaki knew he got his attention. With a series of slight curses and mumbles, the door to the front of the small house opened, and out came a young man with a three day old beard, dressed in blue pants without a shirt on.   
  
"What is it Kanaki, it's too early for me to be up and about..."  
  
(I realize that and I'm sorry, but I found something that I think is worth you coming out to see master Sabin.)  
  
Sensing the urgency in his chocobo's telepathic quote, Sabin nodded his head and went back inside to put some better clothes on. Within a few short minuets, Sabin Rene Figaro reemerged from the small house wearing a pair of baggy blue pants, thick brown jacket, and pair of finger cut off black gloves. Jumping on his friend's back, Sabin gave a slight nudge for Kanaki to show him what was so important.  
  
*****  
  
"Man, this is... odd..."   
  
That was really all Sabin could say when he laid eyes upon the crystal case of the blue boy. As he bent down to take a closer look at the boy, Sabin realized that the case look very similar to that of certain lost crystal...  
  
(Is this Magicite? But I thought all of the Magicite disappeared with the Espers ten years ago...)  
  
Sabin ran his hand over the crystal... It even felt just like Magicite, but gave off no trapped power like Esper Magicite did. He made a note in his mind to take a chunk of this stuff with him later. Getting up, the monk, circled around the half-ground embedded tomb.  
  
"Wow... this really is... Weird! It looks like there's someone trapped inside of it. I wonder how you get it open..."  
  
Instantly, the crystal began to shimmer for a second, and then liquefy itself into green goo. The crystal casing of the young boy's prison began to melt away around him and be absorbed into the ground.   
Both Sabin and Kanaki were dumfounded at what was happening before them, but just to be cautious, Sabin slipped his new "Camo-Spring Style" Claws around his hands just incase...  
Soon, the entire casing had melted away, and there; lying on the grass, lay the young man in the blue armor. He had features that Sabin had never seen before. The armor that he wore was made of a metal substance that the experienced fighter had never come across or worn, and Sabin had seen A LOT!   
  
(Maybe it's a new kind of Illuminari armor...?)  
  
But the most disturbing thing was the way that he laid there, as if in a deep sleep. Then suddenly, a great rush of air leaped into the man's lungs, and started to cough as green goo spewed out of his mouth. Leaning over, the boy coughed up the rest of the green muck and then raised his sapphire blue eyes up to Sabin, and froze!  
Both continued to have eyes locked on each other, until in a blinding flash of movement, the young man jumped into the air and pulled out a silver sword hilt and pointed his left arm at Sabin. Kind of confused by what the man was going to do with a hilt and a hand, Sabin walked closer to the man and unsheathed his claws.  
  
"I don't really know what you plan to do with a silver hilt and your left hand, but if you want a fight," Sabin flashed his new Mithril/Damascus Claws in the sun light, "I'll be more than happy to give you one..."  
  
  
Sabin gets into a full fighting stance, then jumps high into the air. The man follows his movements, but doesn't do anything. Sabin brings his left claw up and points his right-handed claws directly at the blue man.   
The man's eyes seem glazed for a second as he watches Sabin, trying to figure out what is going on, then in one quick move, faster than Sabin would think, shoots his left hand through Sabin's claw range, grabs the monk by his collar in mid-air, and throws him into the ground with a stunning thud. Then, with a soft hiss and a buzz of electricity, the silver hilt produces a shimmering blue blade of energy, which the man brings down very close to Sabin's neck.  
  
"If that was what you call a fight on whatever planet I'm on, then you need some refresher courses stranger. Now, where am I, who are you, and what," with a jerk of his thumb at Kanaki, "is that giant black bird?!"  
  
The man brings the glowing blue blade closer to Sabin's neck, so close that he can actually feel the hair on his neck singe from the power of the blade. The man then places his foot on Sabin's back and holds with there with amazing force, much more force than one would expect from a man his size.   
Sabin finally regains control, and pieces together in his head what just happened. This guy was fast, strong, smart, and unfortunately all rolled into one! Twisting his head ever so slightly, Sabin's assesses the situation at hand, and comes up with a decent plan for a counter attack. Planting one hand on the ground under his stomach, and jabbing his other hand onto the leg of the blue assailant. In a seamless blur of motion, Sabin flips himself over, props the blue guy onto his poised legs, and propels the guy into the air with amazing force. With the blue guy unguarded, Sabin clears his mind and readies a Light FIST attack. Quickly raising his hands into the air in the shape of a fan, Sabin mumbles a quick chant and a small ball of pure, white light forms in front of his hands. Pointing the iridescent ball at the airborne man, the monk releases the stored HOLY energy.   
  
"Light FIST Strike! AURA BOLT"  
  
A beam of holy white energy shoots out from the ball and slams into the stomach of the blue fighter, pushing him up into the air even further. The man goes about forty more feet into the air before he regains control of his body, and spins around, negating away the rest of the divine energy.   
He seems to float there in mid-air with both arms covering his stomach. Sabin's jaw drops in amazement!   
  
(That attack would have blasted a hole through an airship! How strong is this guy... Guess I have to turn it up another notch!)  
  
Sabin flips himself from the ground into a full standing position and gets into the proper fighting stance. Seeing the man still holding his stomach and a dribble of blue blood coming out of his mouth, Sabin brings both hands down by his side in the shape of a cupped sphere. Muttering the same chant as before, another ball of light forms within the small space, but this time, Sabin adds on another word to the chant, causing the ball to glow even brighter and grow bigger.   
  
"Light FIST Strike! Level II: PLASMA BOLT"  
  
Sabin shoots both arms up at the man and "releases" the ball of energy. A huge beam of white power erupts from the ball and begins blazing straight at the wounded blue man.  
Noticing the beam being formed at a rate faster than Sabin, the man puts his right hand out and also puts his left middle and pointer finger on the red crystal on his head. The gem glows for a second, and a large chunk of ice materializes in front of his outstretched palm.  
  
"Armor Tech! Level One: Shatter Ice Wall: FROST TOWER"  
  
The chunk of ice shatters away into the air, and then quickly reforms itself into a shimmering shield of solid ice! Placing both hands next to each other, a glowing field of green energy envelopes around the shield, just as the beam of HOLY energy arrives. The beam gets dispersed across the shield and hundreds of smaller beams flow off the barrier and behind the man, but a few knick his shoulder, drawing a few spots of blood here and there.  
Sabin was stunned! How could this man wield such complete control over the elements: only the Lights, Darks, and Neutrals were supposed to have this kind of stability. This guy was a threat indeed; he could easily capture all of the old Returners if he didn't stop him soon. The only problem, was that the great monk used most of his energy in the last attack, leaving him open to a counter... dropping his arms weakly at his side, Sabin watches the man above for his next move.  
  
  
Finally, the barrage of energy waves stop, and X is able to disperse the shield. Being placed here in this new world after being mysteriously taken from his own, not only five minuets go by before someone is trying to fight him! Yet this guy was different... he was STRONG! And a human no less!  
  
(Who the heck is this guy?! His ABP is through the roof, and that last attack almost went through the combo shield, and not even the Mavericks could do that! If I don't find a weak point in the guy soon, I'm done for...)  
  
X looks down again to see that the guy has left himself open for attack. A small smile graces X's face as he realizes what he must do next.  
  
(Time to Armor Up!)  
  
Putting his left hand up to the sensor crystal on his forehead, and placing his right hand over his chest, X mutters a short command line to himself. The red crystal starts to glow brightly, and his blue armor also glows in turn. He can feel the metamorphosis mechanisms in his body take control and drastically raise his power.  
  
"Armor-Up Tech! SUPER ARMOR LEVEL I: Pegasus Mode"  
  
Instantly, the blue armor glows bright white, and changes itself into a new shape. His helmet turns white/blue and a pair of golden/yellow bars cascade away from the sensor crystal, still emitting a bright red glow. His fore arms become thicker, and the chest plate doubles in depth, plus showing a new green emerald in the center. The boots on his legs also become white and thicker with blue outlines, and a red opening appears on the bottom of each. Lastly, the X-Buster energy cannon on his left arm widened out and more accessories appeared. X was now in Full PEGASUS mode.  
Looking down again at the totally stunned and slightly scared man, X points his upgraded Arm Cannon at the ground and powers up the internal energy gyros. Summoning up all the power around him into the main weapon, X places his right hand over the glowing arm cannon. The red crystal glows even brighter now with the new power.  
  
"Super Armor Tech! Level One: DNA MATRIX BLAST"  
  
Releasing all the stored power, numerous balls of glowing pink energy blaze out of the weapon and head to their target on the ground below. The recoil is so strong from the blast, that a pink shockwave of energy erupts from behind him and distorts the air, leveling the tops of some trees.  
  
  
"HOLY SHIT!"  
  
Sabin, seeing the man above him change drastically and his power level go through the roof, watches in terror as the mysterious figure unleashes a barrage of energy blasts down at him below. Thinking faster than life itself, and hoping to all hope that this works, raises both hands up into the air and summons up his HOLY power for a super protection barrier.   
  
"HOLY Guard! Power of Divine Protection: MAGIC BARRIER COMBO"  
  
A glowing shield of green emits out of Sabin's palms just as the first wave of blasts arrive. Something very unexpected happens, instead of the attack just being absorbed into the shield like the technique is supposed to do, the energy bolts ricochet off the shield with such force that Sabin is thrown down onto the ground with such force that the dirt around him gets heaved up. The bouncing blasts go out of control and fly off in every direction.   
  
Up in the sky, X watches in utter confusion as he sees his attack bounce off of a green energy barrier and go completely out of control. Seeing some of the bolts coming flying back up at him, X crosses his arms in front of him and creates an energy negate shield. A good portion of the blasts collide into the shield with such added force that after five hits, the shield explodes and sends X through some trees and into the ground below.   
The remaining energy balls go flying throughout the forest, destroying trees and ripping apart the ground. The high heat of the raging balls actually start small forest fires, but soon merge into a huge inferno-like blaze!  
  
Both warriors quickly come to their senses as they both realize what their meaningless fight has done to the area around them. Glancing at each other and nodding in mental agreement, they both run off and start putting out the fires.  
Sabin uses his HOLY powers to create sheer blasts of wind to extinguish the glowing fires, while X mixes the Frost Tower move with a wind tunnel attack to create a fanning wave of cool wind, settling the roaring blaze. Soon, the fires begin to die down to nothing but cinders of ash, until they suddenly roar up again in even greater strength and fury.   
Sabin is stunned, what could be causing this raging fire? He looks over the blaze until he sees the source! There, in the midst of the fire, is a small pack of Blaze Bombs, using their natural inferno heat powers to amplify the blaze ten fold.   
  
"Hey!" Sabin yells at X. "Those Blaze Bombs are causing the fires. We have to get rid of them and fast, or the whole forest will die!"  
  
Using his sonic sensitive hearing, X understands the blond man's yelling and points his arm cannon at the pack of Blaze Bombs. Tapping his sensor crystal again, the outlines of his armor change slightly to a shade of blue, and his arm weapon turns a light blue with a rim of ice forming around the front edge.   
Sabin sees that the white/blue guy understands, and brings his hands to his side in the sphere form again. Saying an even longer and more stressful chant, waves of white energy begin to radiate off of the young monk's body.   
Timed by the heat of battle, both warriors unleash their attacks at the growing pack of Blazers.  
  
"Light FIST Strike! Level III: LIGHTNING-PLASMA BOLT"  
  
"Super Armor Tech! Glacier Wave: SHOTGUN ICE CANNON"  
  
"COMBO ATTACK: sub arctic shockwave!"  
  
Both attacks mix together to form a powerful combo attack, the SUB ARCTIC SHOCKWAVE! The Ice shots combine with the immense energy wave to from a deadly beam of freezing cold. The Blazers stop their attacks, and are blown away by the sheer force of the beam. All of the forest fires die down due to the immense cold, and luckily only foursquare acres of forest were burned away during the entire fight.  
  
The two fighters lower the hands and turn to face each other. X and Sabin both walk towards each other. On the edge, a slightly singed and frost bitten Kanaki stares scared out of his mind at the two warriors. Will they continue to fight?  
Coming to a complete stop, the two fighters stand head to head, staring directly into each other's eyes. X raises his right hand and places it out in front of Sabin.  
  
"My name's X. Nice moves you got there!"  
  
"Sabin Figaro, you're not so bad yourself."  
  
"Mind if we have a chat?"  
  
"Sure, follow me..."  
  



	2. Chapter 2- Past Greivances

Chapter Two  
Past Grievances  
  
  
Three days go by. X and Sabin become friends as each begins to explain about their worlds. X tells Sabin about his world of NEO and the continuous battle against the Maverick forces.   
  
"On my world," X started "Sigma was once the leader of the Maverick Hunters... that is until he switched sides and became the leader of the mavericks himself. Ever since then, its been a never-ending fight between the two of us for dominance. His last attack was to destroy all life on the planet using a space bound super weapon on incredible destruction. Luckily, My partner and I, Zero, were able to stop him and scatter his body across the cosmos.  
I've never really been afraid of anyone I face... except for Vile..."  
  
While the two were sitting in Sabin's living room, the monk could see X give off a slight shiver at the mention of that name. A small bead of sweat trickled down his face as his robotic eyes glazed over, remember something frightening from the past.  
  
"Who's this Vile guy? Was he another Maverick like Sigma?"  
  
X looked back up into Sabin's face and gave him a cold stare.  
  
"No... Vile was nothing like Sigma... He was much worse... He tormented his prisoners using barbaric weapons, and gave them the cruelest of deaths. Many of the scholars and scientists on my world believe, that even though he was the right-hand man of Sigma's army, he was far much stronger than Sigma was. I was lucky to beat him when I finally did twenty years ago...   
He had lured me into an abandoned factory, forcing me to fight him to the end. He had every advantage in the fight, but I got lucky and was able to cause his own attack to backfire on him, critically wounding him. Even as he lay there, body case exposed and "bleeding" fluid, he swore that he wound get revenge on me for humiliating him... Then, with his "death" sealed, a self-destruct sequence was activated in the factory. I had only five minuets to escape from the lower levels of the building before the main power core exploded and demolished the whole place.   
Luckily, I made it out with a few seconds to spare... but I still see him in my dreams, taunting me... Mocking me..."  
  
After hearing this, X put down the drink Sabin had made for him and walked over to the window and looked out onto the forest surrounding the small house. He crossed his arms and continued to stare out into the great wood.  
Sabin was now a little intimidated by this guy...  
  
(How powerful was he that he was able to give X a hard time? He must have been a true monster to give X the chills like this... I couldn't even scratch him when I fought him... I wonder what he was like...)  
  
"So what happened to him after the building erupted in flames?"  
  
X dropped his arms back down, and Sabin could have sworn he saw the layer of "skin" on X's hand slightly ripple from the amount of force he was using to make a fist.  
  
"They never found the body. A few parts were found, but nothing concrete. He could still be out there on my world, killing people in the shadows, and I'm stuck here on this world. Some of the scientists believe that he was an Omega model Reploid: one of the few that have an altered spark which allows them to come back to life if given a strong enough jolt. I was one of them, and so was Zero..."  
  
Zero? This had been the first time Sabin had heard of this new guy. From the way X mentioned his name, he must have been a close friend that had something to do with Vile. As Sabin was thinking this over, he saw X begin to clench his teeth and his muscles tense on his right arm.  
With surprising speed and power, X punched through the glass window with such tremendous force and precision, that the glass didn't shatter from his blow, it just broke to the shape of his now torn apart hand. Sabin of course was annoyed about the window, but he could tell that this was a serious problem to X, and didn't stop him from venting his own anger.  
  
"IF ONLY I COULD REMEMBER HOW I GOT HERE! IT'S SO FRUSTRATING! WHY AM I HERE!"  
  
Sabin rose up out of his seat and walked over to X. He placed his hand on the young soldier's arm, and saw the frustration slowly leave his face. Sabin knew what it was like to be powerless.   
  
(It was just like when I thought Vargas had slain Master Duncan. I was so filled up with rage, that I stopped thinking clearly and went out to go and get the mad man, and ended up leading him straight to Edgar, Terra, and Locke...)  
  
X turned around and looked back at Sabin. Even thought he had synthetic eyes, Sabin could swear that he saw that X was fighting something in his mind. What it was, he wasn't sure, but there was definitely something there.  
  
"Oh yeah, I wanted ask another thing. What's a Maverick?"  
  
X's eyes suddenly focused up, and he turned away to look back out the broken window. He crossed his arms around his chest, but stood in a different posture, like there was something that he didn't want to reveal.   
  
"A Maverick by your planet's definition is a wild, unpredictable monster. Its sole purpose is to wreck, destroy, and kill anything in the way of its mission. Mavericks have increased strength and speed, but also have this crazed look in their eyes, like someone one opened a dam to pure evil and madness. Yet they're much harder to recognize and defeat due to one small thing about them..."  
X turned around to look back at Sabin, his eyes slightly glazed again in deep thought.  
"Maverick's are normal Reploids that have been tainted by the effects of the CHAOS Virus. All reploids have the binary sequence for the virus within them, but it takes something to draw it out of them and activate it. The scientists on my world are still trying to figure out what created the virus and what causes it to occur. Sometimes I even wonder if the virus is in me..."  
  
X looked down at his torn hand, and a small shudder ran up his spine. What if all the reports were true? What would happen if the virus did appear in me, would anyone be able to stop me from destroying this entire world? Even this "famed" fighter could barely stand up to my level one armor... If I ever used the Dark Enforcer Power, no one would stand a chance against me...  
  
"That's enough out of me. Come on, tell me about your world, it seems like a nice place compared to mine."  
  
Sabin allowed X to sit and he rose out of his seat and walked over to his cabinet. Unlocking the twin doors using a key around his neck, he reached inside and pulled out a small glass case and set it on the coffee table. Then pulled out an old gauntlet and knight shield that he had held onto for ten years. Walking back over to X, he placed them on the coffee table in front of him and sat in the chair opposite X.  
  
"What do you see in front of you X?"  
"I see a glass case with an emerald jewel in it, an old bluish battle gauntlet, and a white shield with strange markings on it. Why?"  
"Because these items before you have enough combined power to destroy the entire world. They're RELICS, ancient artifacts from a time long ago, over a thousand years. "  
  
Sabin placed both hands on the glass case and slowly lifted the lid off of the display. A flow of air rushed into the container, and the gem inside began to emit a faint red glow from within its crystal shape. X was amazed! Never, in all his time, had he seen a rock do that before.  
  
"What is it?"  
"This X is the most dangerous material on the planet. Its called Magicite, and it used to contain enough power inside of it to rip this continent to pieces. This specific piece is called "BAHAMUT", or King of the Dragons. When Mana, or magical power, still flowed freely across this planet, this gem alone could summon a colossal dragon that could destroy the entire city if desired. Plus, it could bestow the owner with the ability to create vast amounts of heat so immense, that it could melt straight through steel! But after the Cleansing occurred ten years ago, there isn't enough Mana power left to summon the King of Dragons to our plane of existence anymore. Here, hold this and you'll see what I mean..."  
  
Sabin lifted the gem off of its stand in the case and placed it in X's outstretched hand. X made a small fist around the gem, and watched in sheer amazement as it began to glow a little brighter as it lay in his hand.  
  
"Say the words "Esporium Bahamatos" in your mind, and you'll understand what I mean about its power."  
  
X looked away from Sabin and back at the gem. It pulsed with a steady flow of power and life as it lay in his hands. X closed his eyes and emptied his thoughts of everything around him.  
  
"Esporium Bahamatos... Esporium Bahamatos... Esporium Bahamatos..."  
  
Sabin watched as the gem began to glow brighter and brighter, until finally X's eyes snapped open and a pair of green rays shot out of the gem and into his eyes.  
Inside X's head, his mind began to swirl different colors and he could see himself standing in the center of it all. Then, the swirling winds of his mind stopped, and there, before him, stood the king of all the Dragons. It was a majestic beast of supreme power and dignity. His head was adorned with a ridge of spiked horns in the shape of a crown, and a long mane of fins rippled down his neck onto his back. The twin wings, massive in length, were leathery and strong, stretching for over a hundred feet away from his body. The chest was adorned with a glowing green jewel in the center of it, pulsing with a vibrant power all its own. The underbelly of the king, weak by no measure, continued until it ended where the mighty beast's tail began. Snaking around the area where X stood, the tip was made up of a set of jagged spikes, easily capable of piercing even his tough metal armor.  
The great beast looked down to X with its intelligent eyes, and pierced straight into his soul. X could feel nothing but helplessness and fear before this great King of Dragons.   
  
"Who are you that dares to summon me..."  
"I am Mega Man X, defender of humanity and Reploid kind."  
"Yes... I know of you Mega Man X. I have been watching you from high atop my throne in the Esper world. You have done much good young one, but I fear your greatest task is yet to come. I see great danger in your future... Will you run from it, or stand and fight it?"  
"I run from nothing! Let it come!"  
"So brash are you young knight... Not everything can be beaten with strength and power. Now, leave me be, we shall meet again young X... And tell that damn monk one thing for me..."  
  
The great king spread his wings out once more and flapped them in the air with such force, that X was lifted off the ground in a maelstrom of wind and dirt. He was lifted away from the area by the force of the great being and into the swirling mists of his mind.  
  
  
Relaxing in his chair, Sabin continued to watch as X's eyes remained locked in position, staring down into the glowing green gem; when suddenly, his head snapped back and he threw himself into the back of the chair. The gem dimmed a little and then returned to a normal glow. Sabin just smiled a quick grin, and looked at the dumb founded look on X's face.  
  
"His majesty is quite the guy to meet for the first time, isn't he."  
"Yeah... he sure is. Man... that guy was for real?"  
  
The gem in X's hand gave off a bright glow for a second then dimmed back to its original glow.  
  
"It's best X if you don't insult him. He can get to be quite annoyed about things when he doesn't get to be let out into our plane of existence. What did he tell you?"  
A small smile crossed X's lips as he sat back up. "He said for me to tell you to put him out on the window sill in the sun, it feels better on his wings."  
  
  
Three more days go by in the small house, and X learns to relax on this new world. After scaring a couple with his bloodied armor, X decided to make a cape wear over his armor and take his helmet off and let the untainted sun shine on his spiky brown hair.   
The young warrior was also spending more time visiting Bahamut in his crystal cell, and learning more and more about the past of this planet and the wars of Magi. According to the King, Espers, or Magically Infused Beings as X called them, never disappeared from this world ten years ago. When the Dancing Prince Kefka was killed and the Goddess Statues destroyed, the Mana power in the world that was coming into the world by using the Goddess Statues as a focal point, stopped, and the Mana levels were reset. Yet, there were still loopholes from the Esper Dimension into the Human Dimension everywhere, but they only allowed a small amount of Mana power to seep into this dimension at a time. So after two years of the Mana levels on the planet continually building up, Magicite crystals began to reappear. Sabin had found out the hard way when he went to lie down on his couch and listen to some music when a sharp "rock" jabbed him in side. Some of the Espers here (in Bahamut's world) believe that if a large enough loophole was created a GATE would be invoked. This GATE would allow monumental amounts of Mana to enter the world, so much in fact, that full Magic would be revived, and with that, Espers could return as well...  
  
As X was lying down on the couch, "melding" as he called it, with Bahamut's magicite, Sabin was reading the morning paper when a knock sounded at his front door. Seeing that X couldn't hear it while in the Melding trance, he got out of his chair and opened the front door.   
There to meet him was a mini-dragon hovering in the air with a note clamped its mouth sealed with the Imperial Crest of Figaro on it. (Bahamut's views on using smaller dragons to carry human mail around the planet was insulting and degrading to the prestige and honor of being a dragon!) Removing the note from the little dragon's mouth and giving it a piece of food, Sabin walked inside with the small animal flying after it. (Yet, Bahamut did not object to the notion of feeding a dragon and letting it rest after its trip was wrong in any way.) Making a small bed out of an old shirt and putting a scrap of food in it, the mini-dragon nestled down to rest and eat a snack while Sabin unraveled the note and read it to himself.  
  
"I wonder what that crazy king wants now..."  
  
To all the old Returners,  
I, King Edgar Roni Figaro, am inviting everyone that helped in the destruction of Kefka to attend a party on the 32nd of Helios in the courtroom of Figaro Castle. Saying no will not be tolerated and cannot be done. I am personally sending the Air Marshall himself to pick up everyone in the Platinum Falcon. Also, saying that just because you're related to me or some other load and don't have to ride in the Falcon (SABIN!) will result in orders from me allowing the Air Marshal to bring you here in chains if need be!   
Hope everyone WILL make it!  
Edgar Roni Figaro III  
  
PS  
I've arranged for a coliseum to built and ready by the time everyone arrives so we can all see if we've changed at all since 10 years ago. Bring along anyone else you want! REMEMBER SABIN, NO DITCHING THE PARTY!  
  
"Even if he is my brother, I still say I should be allowed to kill him..."  
  
Reaching over and taking a quill out of the ink jar, Sabin decided to attach an extra part of noting onto the letter from Edgar to read when he gets it back.  
  
Alright fine! I'll attend the party, besides, someone has to keep you inline when all the women arrive, or will Sheila be doing that for me? Heh heh heh.  
I'm bringing along a new friend of mine, his name is...  
  
Sabin stopped writing for a sec and looked off into nothing. "I can't just write X, it sounds to suspicious and corny. Hmm. Oh wait!"  
  
His name is Xain Crosslight, and is a traveling swordsman from up north in the uncharted territories. See you in three days.  
Best wishes for you and Sheila,  
Sabin Rene Figaro  
  
Rolling the letter back up, he used a small amount of Magis (lower level magic) to seal it and mark the letter with the seal of a Light FIST (Martial Arts Master of the HOLY alignment). Deciding that he would let the small animal rest a bit before traveling back to Figaro Castle, Sabin walked over to X on the couch and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. X stirred a bit, but then his eyes cleared themselves and he disconnected himself from the link with Bahamut.  
  
"Man... that guy sure can talk. What's up Sabin?"  
"I just got a letter from the King of Figaro requesting that all the old Returners meet at Figaro Castle for a 10 year anniversary of the fall of Kefka. I wrote that I was bringing a friend named Xain Crosslight and that he is a traveling swordsman. Wonder where I can find someone by that name in 3 days?"  
"Yeah... I wonder..."   
  
With a flick of his wrist, the silver hilt of the X-Blade sprung out of a hidden compartment in his arm. X caught it and ignited the weapon, making the sea blue energy blade hiss and sizzle in the morning air. Sabin just shook his head at his companion and then stopped to think something over.   
  
"I was wondering something. If were going to a formal dinner and party, you might want to make yourself more... defined. Instead of wearing a cape over your armor."  
  
X gave off another one of his smiles, and then backed away from Sabin to give himself enough room. Spreading his arms apart from his chest, X's body began to emit a faint white glow. Suddenly, his helmet reappeared on his head out of thin air, and then the crystal in the front of it began to glow brighter than his body.  
  
"Armor-Up Tech! Power down mode: CAMO GEAR"  
  
The rags covering X's armor incinerated themselves in the light emitted from his body. Then, the bluish armor began to glow so bright, that it became hard for Sabin to tell where X was within the light. After a few seconds, it finally stopped.  
Sabin removed his arm from covering his face, and standing before him was a man in dark blue clothes with a silver sword hilt hanging from his side. A blue tunic covered his chest with a jacket of dark blue/black cloth going down his arms. The right hand was encased in a silver gauntlet of sorts with a set of ruby jewels encrusted on the knuckles and a large fiery orange/red gem along the backside of his hand. A scarf of the purest blue was wrapped around his neck, and his hair was spiked in all different directions.  
  
"X?"  
"Do you really need to ask that? I mean come on, who else could be standing here?"  
"You've never seen a WARP spell performed before have you?"  
"Uh..."  
"Thought not, anyway, nice look. Since you're ready, I say we get together the last of our things and head over to Sough Figaro today and wait there till the Air Marshall comes to pick us up."  
"How are we being picked up? Caravan? Boat?" A small grin showed on Sabin's face as he put his coat on and opened the front door.  
"Air Ship actually." X just put his hand over his face and slipped the green magicite gem into one of his pockets as he followed Sabin out the door.  
"Great, a damn blimp..."  
  



	3. Chapter 3- Flights and Fears

Chapter three  
Dark One: Presence made Known  
  
  
X and Sabin left the forests of Figaro and traveled southwest until they reached the city outer limits. X assumed that he was going to see a small town of wooden houses and perhaps a water wheel in the square, like Sabin's house was. Assume nothing.  
The town of South Figaro, in a ten-year time, had doubled its population and tripled the size. All of the old wooden houses were renovated with Illuminari/Figaroin technology and turned into a city of metal and plastic, rivaling that of the cities on X's home world of NEO.  
At the center of the city, the Trade Municipal Building stood along with the main landing strip and pads for the UAF Sky Runners, and this was where the duo were to picked up in the Platinum Falcon. The building itself stretched high into the clouds, and acted as the secondary HQ for the United Air Force. Sabin and X ventured further into the city, and X was taken a back at how much the place reminded him of Delta Frame, the capitol city of NEO.  
  
"Man... this place looks nothing like your home back in the woods..."  
"Yeah, the Protection Treaty of 2873 makes it illegal for any metal or electronic devices to be used or made within the Sanctuary Zones on RUIN. Figaro Forrest happens to be one of those areas. I never liked the city anyway, I'm more of a nature guy myself."  
"Yeah... I guess..."  
  
As X continued to look around the city, he noticed that the TMB stretched higher than any other building in all of South Figaro. Also, another thing caught his eye. Up in the sky, the clouds were being parted in half by an incredibly fast object, almost recklessly fast. As he looked over to tell Sabin about the skies, the monk was already looking at the sky, just smiling at the object ripping apart the thick puffy clouds.  
  
"That... would be your BLIMP I believe..."  
  
X's jaw dropped at the thought that the jet up in the sky was the Platinum Falcon that Sabin was talking about. As he saw the ship come nearer to the landing platform on top of the TMB, the ship simply dazzled him beyond belief. Even some of the technicians on NEO would never have conceived the design on mechanics.   
It appeared as if the metal frame of the ship was constructed around an incredibly think and partially metal airbag. The rear of the ship divided up into a set of three wings, two along the sides at angles with a smaller main one sticking out of the back. The front of the ship resembled that of an old authentic sailing ship, with cabin's quarters and deck, but those areas that would normally be open to the wind were shielded over by a type of plastic X couldn't identify. Yet, the most amazing part of the whole vehicle was the engine. In the rear, a set of three exhaust turbines blazed with fire and raw power out the rear of the ship. From what X's scanners could tell him, the power used to create that kind of propulsion effect required an energy source so great that it would have to rival the destructive force of a Super Nova!  
Eventually, the great ship came to a halt on the top platform of the TMB where the duo was waiting. The docking clamps connected themselves to the platform, and with a soft whine, the turbines within the three engines slowed to a graceful stop. The main hatch of the ship lowered itself down to the ground, and a man wearing a black trench coat stepped down the rail steps and onto the platform.  
His coat was riddled with patches and tears all along it, yet still looked as though it was not showing all it truly had. A small leather bag with a black spade hung from the man's waist, along with a pack of darts, and a deck of odd playing cards connected to his belt. Glinting from inside the sash bound coat, a rather long dagger was laced to his leg with the only visible letters reading A R Y L. X diverted his eyes down to the man's boots, which were also beaten and ratty, looking as if they were about to fall apart. Yet, with a closer look, X's enhanced eyes could see the metal frame within, obviously meant to lure his opponent in a sense of false security. Yet of all these odds and ends, the most intriguing thing of all was his face.   
To X, it appeared as that of a disciplined mask, covering the unbridled spirit of the adventurer and risk-taker within. His eyes with a dark hazel, reflecting and absorbing all that they see, never wavering, but always examining. From under his left eye, a pair of cross scars stood against his strict face, giving the hint that he had seen some rough times before. Lastly, his long silvery hair cascaded down and over his coat, bound by a single piece of green cloth, with the visible letters of D A R. All in all, X could tell that this man, who commanded the finest vesicle he had ever seen, was not to be taken lightly.  
  
"So... you came Sabin... I almost thought that I'd have to fly out over the southern forest to draw you out. I'm glad you saved me the trouble of having to waste my precious fuel to deliver this to you..."  
  
X's eyes darted to the man right hand slowly revealing itself from its confining pocket, and then droop down to his thigh and hang in mid-air. X turned his head to see Sabin release his claws back into his pockets and let both of his hands drop down to his sides as well. What the hell is going on?! X thought.   
Suddenly, both men's eyes widened and X could have sworn his saw a slight glimmer of a reddish flame glow in their pupils. Suddenly, X's energy sensors jumped up a few hundred notches for no reason that he could explain. X became stunned in confusion as both men jumped into the air and raised their hands at each other palm side out.  
  
POWER OF INFERNO: Igtenos: Fira-bolt 1  
  
In front of their palms, X's sensors could detect the temperature rise about two hundred degrees, and then shape itself into a condensed ball of pure heat. Then X's own eyes, under no artificial or mechanical aid, could see the air erupt into flames and numerous blasts of blazing fire burst out of Sabin's palms and leave a fiery trail of flame as they raced to meet with the silver haired man's own barrage of flame.  
The two volleys collided, producing a raging explosion of heat and fire in around the three people. Sabin and the other man just stood there, grin's that would rival that of the Cheshire cat, and eyes locked dead on each other.  
Feeling as though he could cut the suspense with a knife, X was about to yell out something when Sabin suddenly ran over to the man and embraced him in a giant bear hug, leaving X completely dumb founded and confused.  
  
"Oh man Setzer it's so good to see you! I knew nothing would ever change the Eternal Gambler!"  
"Yeah yeah, not even the title of the Air Marshal can slow me down. Hell, with wings like these," Setzer rose his arm in the direction of the monstrous Falcon, "nothing can keep me on the ground! So enough about me, how've you been man? Still managin' to train all your Students at the Academy and still find time to make friends? I'm impressed." Setzer walked past the smiling Sabin and up to X with his hand outstretched. "The name's Gabianni, Setzer Gabianni, I'm the United Air Force Commander in Chief, otherwise known as the Air Marshall by reputation."  
"Yep," Sabin piped in, "ol' Setz' here has flown the skies of the world ten times over and turned the tides of luck for any man that dared to cross 'em. Why, I even heard a rumor in the South Figaro pub the other day that you single-handedly shot down 25 Wingers using only a small handblaster!"  
"Stop man you're embarrasin' me! So anyway, Edgar told me that you were bringin' a friend with you to the reunion, is this 'im?" X drew his dark blue coat tighter around his body, not wanting to reveal to Sabin or Setzer that he had on instinct activated his Reploid Armor underneath when the "cross-fire" had started a few minuets ago.   
"Yes, that would be me. Xain Crosslight, bounty hunter and sword fighter stands before you now. That's a pretty impressive ship you got there, how fast does she go? I bet that with the Fusion Engine you're using, this babe will get you from here to the other side of the world in no time."  
A blank look on Sabin and Setzer's face was all that the two could show. "Hu...How did you know that the P. Falcon runs off a Dual-Fusion Core? No one knows that except the Illuminari..." Without even realizing what he was saying, X went on to explain how you can tell it's a fusion core because of the turbine engines used to create a magnetic tunnel field to direct the raw power out of the three exhausts to move the giant jet.  
Realizing that he might spill his identity to a government guy, X quickly changed the subject on them. "So... this thing goes to Figaro huh?" Setzer just stared at the smiling swordsman and then turned his attention back towards the P. Falcon.   
"Yeah... I was originally going to take you two to the castle, but the king sent me a note saying that we had to stop off in Thamasa to pick up some other people for the reunion." After finishing that, Setzer looked over at Sabin, and X for the first time saw the young monk's face harden a little with anger.   
"Don't worry, I'll be good, as long as he doesn't brag about his powers." Sabin made a fist with hand that was hidden under his cape, but X's "eyes" could see that a small band of electricity wrapped itself around his fist, fueled by the emotion of anger.  
X made a note in his mind to ask Sabin about this guy, and followed Setzer up into the heart of the Platinum Falcon. Based on everything he had seen so far of this place, perhaps it wasn't so bad to be stuck here. At least, for once in his life, he didn't have to worry about a potentially dangerous force capable of destroying the entire world...  
  
  
  
"Finally, he has arrived."  
Remember your mission guardian; this is not your own personal vendetta  
"Be quite, I know what's at stake here, and Ive mastered my abilities since we first crossed paths, I am no longer the rash fool you took in."  
Perhaps, but your other side still shines through now and again, it may aid you in times of peril, but do not let it overcome you  
"Enough preaching, I know the score... Not like this is my first time out..."  
  
The figure rose from his throne of steel, and walked down the royal path of his empire. True, the powers of his master had given him the edge he needed to survive the Apocalypse, but the rest he had done on his own. His subjects knew that he had the force of their god behind him, and that he was the one that the prophecies foretold would restore the planet to the ancient ways before the coming of the first onslaught. The flowing platinum hair, ruby red armor of battle, and the fiery crimson blade of Judgment at his side; yes this was the man they had come to call the Deliverer, the bringer of destruction and creation.  
The followers have said the he fell from the sky in a barrage of green and blue, falling from a door in the heavens over 13 years ago. He has not aged a day since then, and some believe that he never will. The powers that he had before the Joining were strong indeed, strong enough to allow him the right of the sacred ritual. Now, he was no longer one mind, but the Avatar of the Creator, the protector of the humans during the first war of the Demons.   
  
"I need no such armies as these... I alone have the power of the heavens at my command. And he will never be able to withstand the fury I will unleash upon this land. I will break him down until he becomes the man that I was. The Destroyer of Life, Messenger of the Damned was my name."  
  
Forget the past Rok, it is over now. I chose you for the power you have sealed off inside of you. Remember that, and I promise that you will go down in history as the Deliverer of Legends, believe in the powers of the Champion.  
  
"As you say... It shall be done..."  
  
"Wait for me X, I shall not be long..."  
  
  
The Falcon continued its flight across the great ocean of Mobliz. Granted that the planet had been ravaged apart only years ago, life was trying to return as best it could. Setzer continued to man the controls of the great vessel, continually try to see if he could get close enough to skim the great waves of the sea. X just wandered the ship and continued to marvel at the sheer brilliance that if must have taken to design a ship with this much power built into it. In some spots along the engine room, advances had been made far beyond those of even NEO scientists.  
Sabin had said that the trip would take five hours even at peak speed, so he was going to go rest up and meditate back in the Falcon's reserved quarters. The room was exactly as he had left it all those years ago. Even the prized Tiger Fang and Dragon Claw still hung from their mounts next to his old bed. As he continued to look over the room, his gaze fell upon the lone picture of a time long past.   
"The Returners... man we were so happy back then..." It was a photo of the entire ragtag crew standing on the battered deck of the original Falcon. Everyone was clustered at the front of the airship's wooden bow, all wearing his or her own unique armors and relics. Everyone had arrived here for this final moment, the moment in which they would save their world and everyone that lived on it.  
Sabin and Edgar took up the sides, even though both had grown up a little different, their eyes glowed with the same spirit. In the middle, Terra and Celes had their arms over each other's back and were smiling into the lens of the camera. Locke was just sprawled out on the ground at their hips, smiling that thief smile he's known for and twirling a dagger in his hand. Gau and Relm stood at his flanks, both smiling into the camera as well... man they sure were cute together. Cyan stood next to Sabin, his polished armor and Asura blade fastened tightly to his waist, he had lost so much, yet still able to push on. Behind everyone else, dead center stood Shadow with the master wizard Strago directly in front of him. The old man still had the glimmer in his eyes, yet for Shadow, none really knew what went on behind that mask of glowing blue eyes. Lastly, the oddball trio stood out in their own ways throughout the photo. Umaro was holding Mog on his back next to Edgar, and Gogo was leaning on Setzer, who as usual, was flipping a card around in his hand.   
"None of us wanted to be there, going against an insane madman, but it wasn't like we had much choice in the matter... Everyone had their own reasons for going through with it."  
Sabin looked into the picture a little longer then, finally feeling the pull of Sleep bearing upon his eyes, fell down into his hammock, and journeyed to the land of dreams.  
  
  
A plane. A valley. The infinite stretches of the human mind, yet to a trained monk of the order of LIGHT, it is the ultimate battlefield and training area for their cosmic powers. Here, Sabin had just readied his mental forces to begin training.  
"Okay, let's do this."   
  
MagiTek Soldier  
  
Twin T-REX  
  
On the battlefield of Sabin's mind, a single warrior in MagiTek armor and enhanced armor appeared, followed by a ferocious pair of Tyrannosauruses on his flank. To Sabin, this was the greatest training he could put himself up against.   
The soldier fell back and allowed the two T-Rexes to charge forward at the readied monk. Sabin sprung his twin claws and jumped into the fray of mighty beasts. Sabin slashed and punched the mighty monsters, but they regenerated his attacks, keeping them ever powerful and vigilant for the monk to train.  
"Good, this is what I need."   
One of the T-Rexes pulled away from the other and jumped backwards away from the monk, and let out a mighty roar. Sabin quickly forgot about the one he was dueling with and turned his attention to the other.   
"That roar! But that means it's going to... NO!"  
Sabin concealed his claws and crossed his arms across his chest. The mighty beast's jaw glowed for a second, and then a brilliant beam of light shot out at the other Rex and Sabin. Numerous shards of giant rock were spinning and flying within the beam, shredding apart all that was there. Sabin took a hard beating within the attack, but the other T-Rex was completely devastated by it. This level of power shouldn't exist within the fight, why was it?  
"STOP..."  
As if on command, the T-Rex halted it's attack and stepped back to allow the MagiTek knight to walk in front of it. Sabin was lying on the ground, still sore from the onslaught. As he looked off, he could see the lone Knight stand there, but something was not right about it. He knew this figure... The face wasn't familiar, but the aura around him was.  
"You can feel my presence, even as a mental projection... yes, its true young Sabin, you are a mighty warrior. But I always knew that."  
Sabin's eyes widened inside of his sockets. Sweat dripped down his face. It wasn't possible...  
"No! You're not him!"  
In the young monk's head, a stab of fear crept into his skull and latched onto his thoughts. He knew this voice... 16 years had pasted since then, but the voice was the same. Sabin fell onto his back and began to crawl away from the oncoming soldier.   
The soldier walked toward him, and the image of him began to change. His helmet fell to the ground, letting a long mane of pearl white hair drop down into a ponytail. The BioArmor he wore shattered away and was replaced by a blood read breastplate. His eyes turned to black then radiated from within a gleaming emerald. A raging blade of crimson fire burst from his hand, and a shield of emerald covered his left forearm.  
"What's the matter Sabin? Don't you remember me? It's me... Lucied... How has time been to you? 16 years can change a man..."  
Lucied looked down into the frightened monk's face and terrified eyes. Anyone else Sabin could fight... just not him... not this man... this monster! Sabin dropped his claws on the black floor, and tried to scurry away, but was frozen in place by this Black Warrior's glare.  
"I... I thou... thought you died during the Cataclysm..."  
"Yes well, I'm a lot tougher than you may think monk..." Lucied paced around the cowering Sabin and tapped his fiery red blade against the monk's cheek. Even though the blade produced no actual flame, Sabin could feel the burning heat it was generating. "I bet your wondering why I'm here. Well, let me tell you... something has arrived on this planet. Something powerful, something tame and yet savage, something a lot like me in a way. It could reshape this world if it knew how to harness its true power... but I cannot allow that to happen... not yet anyway. You know of this weapon... but you do not know it as I do. You do not of how far its potential for destruction and chaos lies. He and I will revive the power of this planet. I will be the instructor, and he will be my tool. The waters of Mana will flow once more..." Lucied bent down on one knee to look Sabin straight in the eyes.   
"Before I go, let me give you a glimpse of your future... hero..." Lucied grabbed Sabin swiftly by his forehead and held on tight. A small gem on Lucied's brow appeared, shining a violent red and pulsing of power.   
He tried to scream, but nothing came out, and visions flooded his mind. Terrible scenes of death and destruction like he had never believed! Bodies were strewn everywhere, walls were scorched and crumbling, and he was alone in a room against the monster that had done all this.   
In front of him, a column of dust faded away to reveal a warrior clad in the blackest armor he had ever seen. Golden spikes rose out of its head, a fiery red jewel was set in the center of the headdress. The arms were thick and powerful, capable of doing far more damage than this. A pair of thin black wings protruded from its back, casting a dark shadow onto Sabin himself. The being's deadpan face looked into Sabin's crystal blue eyes, showing no emotion what so ever. Sabin looked into those eyes, those dead reddish eyes, and knew he had seen them before. The being raised its main weapon at the defenseless monk. He tried to speak, tried to say stop, but nothing came out. He pointed his own weapon at the dark monster, but it didn't help. From within the nozzle of its weapon, a blazing blue ball of burning flame reached out and engulfed Sabin within its fiery core.   
Pain. Pain the likes of which no man should ever feel. The pain of slowly being burned alive. The pain of having your mind ripped apart as you die. Sabin could fight against none of it, just feel it all as it happened. Then, the pain stopped and Sabin slowly opened his eyes.  
  
The picture of the Returners lay before his eyes, the glass slightly fractured along his face. Sabin quickly opened his eyes all the way. He was back in his room on board the Falcon. What had happened... it all felt so real. Lucied's breathe, the heat from his crimson blade, and the pain... Sabin shuddered at the thought. The pain was real... That he knew for sure...   
Sabin ran his hand across his face to wipe away the sweat, and yelped when he felt a slight twinge of pain on his cheek. The burn mark from Lucied's sword... it was real...  
  



End file.
